


In the Middle of Nowhere

by Jelixpo



Category: jacksepticeye
Genre: Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-08 02:31:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14095137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jelixpo/pseuds/Jelixpo
Summary: Jack is fed up with his YouTube job and wants to take a break, so when he sees a summer job opportunity out in the mountains he jumps on it. However, he gets more than he bargained for.





	In the Middle of Nowhere

**Author's Note:**

> holly hell. I have been working on this for fucking ever. Do you want to know when I started writing this? August. Fucking August.  
> but!!!! it's done!!!!! and you're able to read it now!!!!!!!
> 
> I think this is the longest short story I have every written. Actually, scratch that. I know this is the longest story I have every written. Please please PLEASE appreciate all the work I put into this.

"This is gonna be so much fun!" Jack chirped happily as he ran around his room, throwing various articles of clothing into the suitcase that sat open on his bed.

His excitement stemmed from an email he had received a few hours earlier. Jack had always wanted to see the mountains, to live in them. The deep forest that surrounded them and the beautiful waterfalls in between them intrigued Jack greatly. It sounded so peaceful. So when he heard a summer job opening in a small town centred between two large mountains, of course, he had sent in an application. 

He loved his YouTube job, he really did, but lately, everything had seemed so suffocating. The constant flow of people asking for him and trying to find him was just so overwhelming. He needed to get away from it all, so this job opportunity couldn't have come at a better time.

"Don't have too much fun while you're there, though. Wouldn't want you deciding that you liked it better out there than here." Felix spoke up as he watched Jack go about packing from the doorway.

Felix could understand his boyfriend's need to get away, but they both knew that Felix couldn't go with him. He could barely be able to upload one video in a day, let alone have the energy the prepare enough videos for the next two months. But of course, Jack, the epitome of energy and enthusiasm, could prepare two videos for the next 60 days and still have energy left in him for excitement for his summer job.

"Don't worry. I just need some time away. I'm sure by the end of the summer I'll be more than ready to come back," Jack replied, walking over to Felix and wrapping his arms around his waist. The Swede replied by wrapping his own arms around the smaller man's body.

Behind Felix's back, Jack lifted up his wrist to Felix's shoulder, looking at his watch. His eyes went wide.

"Okay I love you but I'm gonna be late!" Jack said loudly, quickly kissing Felix's cheek before scrambling away and zipping closed his suitcase.

Felix and he walked to the front door where they saw Jack's cab already sitting out on the street. Felix stopped at the door and waved to his boyfriend as he watched the yellow car drive Jack away to the airport.

 

\---

 

The plane ride seemed to last forever, with Jack practically bouncing in his seat the whole way. Finally, it was over, though. Stepping outside of the airport, Jack spotted a women holding up a sign with the words SEAN MCLOUGHLIN emboldened on the front. Upon walking over to her, the women seemed to quickly know who Jack was.

"You're Sean, aren't you?" The women asked, "The hair gives it away," the woman answered her own question quickly.

She led Jack out to her black car and drove him through the city. Jack looked out the window in wonder as he watched the city buildings and skyscrapers disperse and then disappear, being replaced by thick trees and bushes that surrounded them, the only indication of any other living being out here being the paved road. Eventually, a small town started to surround them. Houses were few and far between, as well as the shops that they passed.

The car eventually slowed to a stop in front of a little house. Stepping out of the car, Jack watched as his sister exited the house to greet him.

"Long time no see!" Allison, his sister, said happily as she hugged him tightly. Jack returned the gesture and hugged her back.

"No kidding! How have you been?" Jack asked, following Allison as she led him into the house, "And thank you again for letting me stay with you this summer,"

"Oh, it's my pleasure! It'll be nice to catch up!" Allison replied, opening the door for Jack.

They spent the whole night talking, enjoying each other's company until the early hours of the morning

 

\---

 

Jack followed behind an older man as he was lead around the store that he was to work in. The only uniform they had asked him to wear was a green apron.

"The people who come in here will, more often than not, be citizens of this town and have been to this store. Nevertheless, you should still know what aisles have what in them," the man walking in front of Jack instructed. He appeared to be in his late 40's, and had obviously worked here for a large portion of his life, "Normally you'll only have to scan the items, stock the shelves, and move in new shipments of food and such,"

"So, just like, simple stuff?" Jack asked the man, whose name was Richard.

"Yeah, basically. Occasionally people driving through town will come in looking for things. Those are really the only times that you'll have to talk to anybody who's clueless," Richard replied, leading Jack up to two other, older looking women who were dressed in the same green apron as him, "these are your coworkers. Hellen, Shaylynn, meet your new coworker for the summer, Sean" Richard introduced the three quickly before walking away to go back to his office.

"Pleasure to meet you, Sean," the lady named Hellen spoke, reaching out her hand as she did so and shaking Jack's hand. Hellen looked to be about in her late 40's or early 50's, with visual laugh lines present on her face. Her short blond hair worked well with her plump body.

"Same to you," Jack spoke back happily, shaking her hand.

"I gotta say, Sean, you came at the perfect time. Having only two pairs of hands around here was starting to get a little hectic," the other women, Shaylynn, said warmly as she shook Jack's hand herself. She seemed to be in her late 30's, early 40's. Her black hair was in a messy pixie cut, which went well with the darker hue of her skin.

"Is it really only the three of us running this huge store?" Jack asked, looking around them at the massive isles. The store seemed more like a warehouse for storing products instead of selling them.

"I'm afraid so," Helen sighed, "The boss doesn't like to hire too many people since we don't really get a whole lot of business,"

"It's more so just finding people to help stock the shelves," Shaylynn started off, "With how huge this place is, no one who lives in this town comes here just to buy one thing. So there's very little business, but big payout still, just from the number of things people buy," she finished.

"Speaking of which, we got a new load of boxes in this morning. We haven't stacked them all yet, so there's still some in the back. That'll be your first job; stacking the rest of those. Here, I'll take you to them," Hellen said, motioning for Jack to follow her as she went to the back, to which he did.

 

\---

 

"Have a nice day!" Jack called back to the man who walked out of the store. He received a faint 'you too!' as the door to the store shut. 

Stocking the shelves had taken all day yesterday, so when Hellen told Jack to work the cash register he was more than happy to do so.

Jack's head snapped back to the counter in front of him when he heard new items be set down on it.

"Well now, I thought I'd met every person in this town!" A deep voice boomed from above Jack's head.

The man in front of him was very tall, almost 6 ft 10 or 6 ft 11. He had messy, long, brown hair that was tied into a ponytail in the back, with a bushy beard in the front to match. He looked to be in his mid 30's, but he was built extremely well. He didn't have defined muscles or a slim stomach, but you could tell just by looking at him that he possessed brute strength.

"Well, technically you have. I'm just visiting here for the summer. I'm Sean," Jack told, looking up to see the man, "And who might you be?" Jack asked as he scanned the man's items through.

"The name's Cliff," Cliff replied, stretching out his hand to jack, "pleased to be in your presence, Sean," 

"Same to you," Jack smiled back, shaking Cliff's hand as he did so. Cliff's hand was large and rough, so upon placing his hand in cliff's, Jack felt like he had shrunk.

"Well I gotta run, but you can expect me tomorrow!" Cliff beamed, picking the plastic bag from the counter that held his items, "hopefully I'll get to know you better. So long!" He called back as he turned and exited the store.

"Who was that, dear?" Hellen asked as she walked by Jack, carrying a box of items.

"He said his name was Cliff," 

"Cliff the lumberjack? Oh, he's such a nice man. He always comes in every day and talks to us," Hellen said warmly, obviously very fond of the man she spoke of.

\---

Sure enough, just as Cliff had said, he returned to the store the next day. Upon spotting Jack sitting at the cash register with no one around, Cliff seemed to light up. After zipping through the store to find his items, not 5 minutes after Jack had seen Cliff walk in, the lumberjack was already standing in front of his table, placing his items down on the counter.

"Told you I'd be back!" Cliff beamed happily.

"And so you are!" Jack replied, laughing as he did so.

"And seein' as how I don't have anywhere to be, and you don't have any customers around..." Cliff trailed off, looking around to make sure that no customers were near. After confirming that no one was coming up to the till anytime soon, Cliff placed his elbows on the countertop and leaned forward, getting himself comfortable, "so if you're just visitin' for the summer, where's home?"

"I live in Brighton," Jack replied

"Brighton England?!" Cliff asked, surprised. Jack nodded in reply. Cliff whistled in astonishment, "You must have travelled some way to get out here to the middle of nowhere,"

"Yeah, well, I needed to get away," Jack shrugged his shoulders, scanning Cliff's items at the same time.

"Was somethin' eatin' you?" Cliff asked.

"Eh, I guess so. I love it there, I really do, but I just needed to get away," Jack said.

"Understood. What do you do?" Cliff asked.

The afternoon went on like that; Cliff continuing to ask Jack as many questions as he could, and it would have continued like that, had more customers not come in. The rest of the day was uneventful, with customers just coming in and out. The next seemed to play out the same way, with Cliff coming in to talk to Jack while he worked, and then leaving once the store started to get busy. The next day played out like this, and the next day. Soon, a week had already gone by and it was Saturday. On Sunday, all the stores would be closed, so everyone was in a hurry to get to the store, so when Cliff came in and saw the number of people there, he simply just turned and left without buying anything. Of course, Jack found this odd but chose to think nothing of it.

Later that night, after the store had closed, Jack drove himself home to his sister's house. She had let him borrow her spare car since she wasn't using it much for the summer.

"Hey, Sean!" Allison called as she heard Jack open and close the door behind himself, "have a good day?"

"Yeah, it's nice being out here. Everyone is so friendly and nice to talk to, especially that Cliff guy! He always comes in to talk to me," Jack replied back, placing his work uniform on the back of the chair he sat on.

"... Cliff? The lumberjack?" Allison asked, turning down the TV she had been watching and turning to look a Jack, a slightly worried look on her face.

"Yes, that's the one. Why?" Jack asked back, seeing the look on Allison's face. She was silent for a moment.

"It's just... I don't know. Cliff makes me a little uncomfortable," Allison admitted, looking down as if to think.

"Why? He's such a nice dude!" Jack said confusedly.

"I know, but... Just something about him is... Off. I don't know what it is, though... " Allison said, trailing off in between her thoughts.

"Well... as far as I know, he is a good guy. Everyone seems to like him, and he's very friendly," Jack spoke, trying to reason with his sister.

"Yeah..." Allison finished, seeming to not know what else to say. She said nothing else, but it was obvious she did not agree with Jack's attempt to change her mind about Cliff

"uh... well, how was your day?" Jack asked, trying to change the subject.

The two of them talked normally for the rest of the night, but neither of them seemed to forget about what the other had said about Cliff.

 

\---

 

Jack continued to place the cans on the shelf in front of him, taking his time as he did so. There was no real rush since it was an early Monday morning and the store had only opened a few moments ago, so no one was in there except for him, Hellen, Shaylynn and Richard. The store was completely quiet, save for the soft 'clang' that the cans in his hand made as he shuffled them around in the box he held.

As Jack placed one of the cans on the shelve, he heard footsteps coming towards him. Thinking it was either Hellen or Shaylynn, he tried to ignore it, but something about the footsteps seemed... off. They were too heavy to be Hellen or Shaylynn's, or even Richard's. Jack was about to go check out the sound when-

"Sean. Seeaaan," a deep voice called softly from outside the aisles.

"Cliff?" Jack asked, looking around him. Jack watched as the man he just mentioned sprint into view at the end of the aisle.

"Sean! There you are," Cliff said happily, practically skipping over to Jack as he said so.

"What are you doing here so early?" Jack asked, chuckling slightly.

"I wanted to see you!" Cliff beamed.

"Me?" Jack asked, slightly confused.

"Yes, you!" Cliff giggled.

"Oh. Um... can I ask why?" Jack asked, still confused.

"Oh, I just wanted to see your pretty face," Cliff said, smiling and looking Jack up and down.

Jack felt a weird feeling grow in his gut when Cliff said that, and suddenly Cliff's smile looked slightly more crooked than before. But why? Cliff had only complimented him. So why did his tone put Jack in a state of unease?

"Oh. Well, alright then," Was Jack's only reply, since he really didn't know what to say.

Trying to ignore the feeling in his gut, Jack simply went back to stocking the shelves. Cliff didn't seem to mind, though. The lumberjack folded his arms calmly and leaned against the shelf in the aisle. Looking over, Jack met Cliff's eyes as the lumberjack simply continued to stare at him.

"What?" Jack asked, thinking that Cliff wanted to say something to him.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just lookin' at you," Cliff replied softly as if lost in thought.

Jack merely nodded silently in response and continued to stock the shelves. Why did he feel so uncomfortable all of the sudden? Just then, Hellen walked into the aisle carrying her own box, and Jack's heart jumped up.

"Sean, I need you to- Oh, hello Cliff! What brings you here?" Hellen asked, her tone changing once she saw the lumberjack standing next to Jack.

"Good morning Hellen! And oh, nothing. I was just leaving, actually," Cliff replied, straightening himself. Jack internally noted the change in Cliff's tone when someone else came into the room with him. Cliff calmly turned on his heel and walked out of the aisle.

"Such a nice man," Hellen seemed to repeat to herself warmly. She refocused her attention on Jack, "Anyway, Sean, I need you to go stack these items in the back. My shelves are overstocked, surprisingly," She said, stretching out her arms to hand the box to Jack.

"Sure thing," Jack replied, taking the box in his hands. Hellen turned to leave the aisle when Jack spoke up, "Wait. Um, Hellen has Cliff ever been... I don't know... Weird with you? In the mornings?" Jack asked sheepishly. Hellen whipped back around, a shocked look on her face.

"Of course not! Cliff is a good, smart, kind man. Whatever weird behaviour you are referring to must have been of your doing," Hellen snapped at Jack, very upset. Before Jack could reply she quickly pivoted and exited the aisle, leaving Jack alone and confused.

Not wanting to anger Hellen any further, Jack quickly walked into the back of the store where all the other boxes were. Shaylynn stood over in the corner with a clipboard in hand, taking inventory of all the items they had there. She turned her head when she heard the doors to the back swing open, and she smiled when she saw Jack walk in.

"Good morning honey! Where you overstocked too?" She asked, turning back to look at her clipboard.

"Uh, no actually. This is Hellen's stuff," Jack replied, walking over and placing the box in a corner.

"Heh, typical of that woman to hand off her work," Shaylynn laughed to herself, writing something on the clipboard.

"Uh, yeah," Jack said quickly, walking out of the back. After what had happened with Hellen, Jack didn't want to make anyone else upset.

 

\---

 

The next morning Jack was back doing the same thing, stocking the shelves, only this time it was a different aisle with a different type of can. Jack hoped the morning would be uneventful, but luck was not on his side.

"Seeaaan. Sean, hey," Jack heard a deep voice call out. He hoped that if he said nothing, the source of the voice wouldn't find him, so he silently continued to stack the shelves. Unfortunately, his hopes lead him nowhere.

"Sean! There you are!" Cliff called happily from the end of the aisle. He bounded over to Jack and stood by his side, a little closer than yesterday, "What'cha doooin'?" He asked innocently, leaning against the shelves.

"Uh, just stocking the shelves," Jack replied back nervously, placing another can on the shelf and facing it forward. Cliff merely hummed happily in response.

A silence fell over the two, with Jack not wanting to say anything and Cliff seeming content with just staring at the Irishman he towered over. Jack tried to focus his mind on stacking the shelves, hoping that Cliff would eventually leave if he didn't talk to him. Cliff seemed to have a different idea in mind, however.

"You're very pretty," Cliff spoke calmly, finally breaking the silence. Jack looked over at Cliff, hoping to see a teasing look or to hear a joking tone, but that was certainly not the case.

"Oh... Um, thank you," Jack mumbled out, staring straight at the shelves in front of him. He didn't know how to react. Cliff seemed to sense his uneasy tone.

"Do you not think so?" Cliff asked, his expression changing to worry.

"Um... Uh... Well... I don't know..." was Jack's reply. He stuttered because he did not know how to answer. Cliff was silent for a moment.

"Well... I think so," Cliff spoke softly. 

With Jack continuing to stare forward, he did not notice Cliff lift his hand up, but he did jump away when he felt the taller man's fingers slide down his cheek. This time Jack whipped his head over to look at Cliff straight on. Cliff just stared back at Jack with an emotionless expression, as if he had been surprised by Jack moving away from him.

"Do you not like me touching you?" Cliff asked, his voice monotone. 

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but nothing would come out. He had no idea what to say. Surely Cliff would have gotten the answer to his own question when he saw Jack jump away from him, right? Jack just stared back at him, his eyes wide in slight fear and anticipation. Cliff must have received his answer, a small 'huff' coming out of his mouth as his eyes trailed downwards as if lost in thought.

"Pity..." Cliff said softly after a short time, bringing his eyes back up to look at Jack's. A silent standoff passed between the two. Just then, Shaylynn walked into the aisle.

"Sean, can you- Oh. Hello Cliff," Shaylynn said, her voice dropping once she spotted Cliff, "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Oh, I was just leaving," Cliff said, changing his tone to be softer. He backed away from Jack, then exited the aisle without further disruption.

"Hmm, odd," Shaylynn spoke under her breath, "Anyway, Sean, can you come to the back with me? I just need help stacking some stuff," she said.

"Um... Yeah. Okay," Jack spoke softly, his mind still buzzing from the encounter with Cliff. Shaylynn gave him a confused look but said nothing more as she turned to go to the back of the store, Jack following behind her.

"We just need to stack and sort these," Shaylynn said, gesturing her hand towards 10 boxes in the corner as she walked through the doors into the back.

"Okay..." Jack half mumbled, walking over to the boxes as he did so.

"Honey, are you okay?" Shaylynn asked, turning around to look at Jack head on and resting her hands on his shoulders, "You seem kind of raddled,"

"I... It was just..." Jack tried to begin, his thoughts a jumbled mess, but nothing else would come out, so he was silent for a moment.

"... Was it Cliff?" She asked.

"... m-may be," Jack hesitantly spoke, thinking back on how Hellen had reacted yesterday.

"Oh, believe me, honey, I know what you mean. There's something not right with that man," Shaylynn said. Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, you don't like him?" Jack asked, feeling more comfortable with talking now.

"Dear god no. Hellen likes him because he's nice to her, and the boss doesn't care because he's a customer, but y'wanna know something?" Shaylynn asked. Jack nodded, "My son used to work here before he graduated and moved away, and everyday Cliff would come in and talk to him. I liked him at first because he was very nice to my son, but the way he spoke and acted around my son just started to become..." Shaylynn trailed off, trying to think of the right word to describe it.

"Off?" Jack finished her sentence for her

"Yes! Exactly. It almost made my son quit a few times. If we had been a bit more stable money wise, I'm sure he would have," she said.

"What do you think I should do about it?" He asked.

"Well... I'm not sure anything will really make him stop, but letting him know that you're not comfortable might make him back off a little," She replied, "And if he's ever really bothering you, just come find me. He'll leave if there's another person around,"

"Thank you, Shaylynn," Jack said, almost sighing in relief after hearing that she would help him.

"It's my pleasure Sean," She replied happily, "now let's get to work on these boxes,"

\---

The next morning Jack found himself sitting at the cash register, Richard having assigned him there since there wasn't that much shelf-stocking left to do. It was about 2 minutes before opening and, looking out the front windows, he could see a large, dark blue truck with a red stripe around it pull up. He squinted in confusion since he knew that no one here drove a vehicle like that. 1 minute before opening, he watched as Cliff stepped out of the truck. Jack quickly walked away from his register, ducking into an aisle as he heard the front doors unlocking at the opening. He did not want to have to deal with Cliff this morning, or the next morning, or any morning. He got to the end of the aisle and began walking towards the door to the back room where all the extra food was stored. He was just about to make it to the door when a large body quickly stepped in front of him.

"Hey, Sean!" Cliff beamed, causing Jack to jump back in surprise. Jack's heart sank into his stomach, "Where do you think you're going? Weren't you going to say hi to me when I walked in?" Cliff asked, taking a step towards Jack. The small Irishman stumbled back slightly.

"Well, I-I just had to go check on something in the back," Jack replied, trying to walk around Cliff, but the larger man moved in front of him again and took another step forward.

"Aw, not even a little 'good morning, Cliff'?" Cliff cooed, smirking slightly.

"I'm very busy. Please move," Jack quickly responded, shoving past Cliff and sprinting through the swinging doors into the back. He quickly walked as far into the back as he could think to go, trying to get as far away from the door and out of anyone's line of sight.

He stepped into a corner of boxes, effectively hiding away. He breathed a heavy sigh, both out of exasperation and relief that he was in a space where the lumberjack would not get to him. Besides, what kind of customer walks into the back of a store uninvited? Jack stared at the ground for a moment, wondering how long he should wait here before Cliff would decide to leave.

"Is that what you were supposed to check on?"

Jack jumped and yelped, quickly spinning himself around as he heard the voice behind him speak. Cliff stood very close to him, looking down.

"Well, it looks to be alright," Cliff spoke softly, a smile on his face.

"Cliff, you're not supposed to be back here!" Jack spoke, stepping back slightly. His back bumped against the boxes that surrounded them. Fuck. He was trapped.

"Oh, but why not?" Cliff replied teasingly, taking a slight step forward, "What's the harm in it?" Jack's breath shook as his eyes darted around, looking for anything to help him out of this situation, "Besides, isn't it nice to be alone?" Cliff cooed, completely closing the distance between them, his height casting a shadow over Jack's frame.

"Cliff, stop," Jack commanded, his voice slightly shaking, "You're making me uncomfortable," He spoke. The lumberjack's expression fell, still staring into Jack's eyes. A moment of silence passed as Cliff's face twisted up into a slightly irritated look.

"Uncomfortable...?" Cliff spoke flatly, all cheeriness in his voice gone. Jack could feel himself shrinking, "Well, excuse me Sean, but I have been nothin' but pleasant to you in every way," Cliff snapped in a low voice, bringing his face down, inches away from Jack's, "Based off-a that, I'm afraid I'll be continuin' to speak to you in that way," He growled. Jack's fearful, wide eyes stared back into Cliff's cold and stern ones, slightly trembling. Suddenly, Cliff broke his terrorising demeanour as his eyes soften, his smile returning, "Now, there's no need for hardships between us," He cooed, bringing his hand up towards Jack's face. He went to stroke Jack's cheek when-

"Cliff!"

The lumberjack jumped back and whipped his head around. Shaylynn stood there with her arms crossed, a stern look on her face.

"Sh-Shaylynn! Nice to see y-" Cliff began, his voice changing once again.

"It's time for you to leave," She cut him off, her voice booming with anger.

"Y-yes! I was just about to say that!" Clif spoke quickly, shuffling past Shaylynn as he spoke. He quickly made his way to the back door and walked out.

Jack clutched at his chest as he leaned against the boxes, his breaths quick and shaky.

"Are you alright?" Shaylynn asked as she walked over to Jack and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Y-yeah, yeah I am," He panted.

"Alright, that's it," Shaylynn spoke sternly, "You're not leaving my sight anymore,"

"Shay, you don't have to-" Jack began.

"I won't let this continue! Lord knows Richard won't do anything about it, and Hellen sits on her ass all day long. No one else is doing shit, so I'm stepping in," She commanded, her voice booming. Jack looked up at her for a moment, then smiled slightly.

"... Thank you,"

\---

The next morning, Jack and Shaylynn both sat at their registers. It was 2 minutes before opening, and they both watched as Cliff's blue truck pulled into the parking lot. Jack instinctively stood up to leave.

"It's gonna be alright," Shaylynn reassured him, "I'm not going anywhere," Jack hesitantly sat back down, letting out a shaking breath as he watched the clock tick down to 1 minutes before opening.

They heard the door unlock as it was time for the opening. Cliff quickly exited his vehicle and walking in through the doors.

"Good-mornin', Sean!" Cliff beamed happily as he walked over to Jack.

"Good morning," Jack spoke softly back.

"Good-morning, Cliff," Shaylynn spoke, watching Cliff's every move. Cliff looked over at Shaylynn in surprise, not having seen her sitting there before.

"Oh! Uh, same to you Shaylynn," Cliff spoke back, "How's your day startin' out?" He asked.

"Just fine," Shaylynn replied. Cliff turned his attention back to Jack as he stood in front of his counter.

"And what about you, Sean? How's your day startin'?" Cliff asked in a noticeably more affectionate voice.

"Good," He quickly replied, not wanting to carry on the conversation any longer.

"Just good?" Cliff asked softly, turning his head to the side slightly.

"Yes..." Jack replied.

"Aw, alright then," Cliff spoke. A moment of silence passed again, Cliff simply staring down at him, "Y'know... I don't think I've ever spoken to you outside of this here store. Would you want to grab a drink this Saturday evenin'?" He asked.

"I'm working that night," Jack replied.

"Aw, that's a damn shame," Cliff said, his demeanour changing to that of disappointment, "Well, I'll see you around," He finished, then left the store. Jack breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Cliff drive away.

"There. Now he shouldn't come back again today unless he actually needs something," Shaylynn said happily, standing up from her register.

"Thank you again, Shay," Jack quickly said, looking over at his coworker and friend, "I really mean it,"

"Oh, no problem, Honey!" She chirped.

The next few mornings went on like that. Cliff would come in at the opening, talk to the two of them, then leave. Occasionally, he'd stay an extra minute or so just to grab some of the things that he needed, but nothing longer than that. Very soon, Jack no longer felt in danger when Cliff came in. Especially with Shay now by his side to look out for him. It looked as though the rest of his visit here would be uneventful. Besides, he only had another 2 weeks to go before he would have to return home again.

\---

This particular Saturday morning was proving to be very busy. Travellers from all over were stopping by the store to pick up things they would need for the road trip home since the summer was ending and people would have to go back to their jobs. As well, it seemed like the majority of the parents who lived in the town had left their back-to-school shopping to this moment. There were only 4 or 5 people in the register, but Jack was currently the only register open since both Shaylynn and Hellen had to go help customers find the things they were looking for. Jack leaned back in his register seat after having checked out the last customer in his line for that moment. Just as he thought he could get a moments break, as his recent customer walked out, Cliff walked in behind them. Jack groaned slightly as he watched the large man walk over to him.

"Mornin, Sean! Or, I guess it's the afternoon!" Cliff spoke happily, "Wow! It's pretty busy in here,"

"Heh, yeah," Jack sat up, trying to make the most out of this moment, even if he hated it so.

"Wouldn't it be nice to grab a drink after a busy shift like this?" Cliff asked, leaning against Jack's counter.

"Sorry, but I can't. I got a plane to catch tomorrow morning," Jack replied.

"What?! A plane?" Cliff spoke, his expression immediately changing from happy to distraught, "Your leavin'?"

"Well, yeah. It's the end of the summer. I told you I'd only be here for the summer," Jack replied.

"Are... are you ever comin' back?" Cliff asked.

"Probably not, no. I'll miss this place, though," Jack replied. Cliff was silent for a moment, just staring at the countertop, lost in thought.

"... Are you closin' tonight?" Cliff finally asked.

"Um... yes? Why?" Jack replied, confused.

"... Just wonderin'..." Cliff replied. He quickly turned on his heel and walked further into the store and out of Jack's line of sight. Jack watched as he walked away, confused about the encounter he had just had with him. He didn't have much time to think about it, however, as another 2 customers walked up to his counter with full carts.

A few moments later, Cliff returned to the line for Jack's register. He set his items down on the counter as he got close.

"What's all this rope for?" Jack asked as he scanned Cliff's items.

"Oh, just a... DIY project of sorts," Cliff smiled crookedly.

"Oh. Uh, alright," Jack replied, quickly bagging Cliffs items as he once again felt that uneasy feeling in his stomach. Cliff quickly picked up the bags that Jack handed to him.

"I'll be seein' you!" Cliff spoke back happily as he left the store, leaving Jack confused and uneasy.

\---

"I'm heading home for the night!" Hellen called back as she clocked out, "Have a nice flight, Sean!" She called back as she waved before exiting.

"Thanks!" Jack called to her before the door closed. He and Shaylynn were working together to close down the registers that were left. It was about 10 minutes to closing. Suddenly, they both heard a phone ring. Shaylynn reached into her pocket and pulled her cell phone out, then answered it.

"Hey, honey. I'm almost done here I just... What? How did that... Okay, okay calm down! I'll be there soon!" She quickly spoke before hanging up the phone, "Sorry Sean but I gotta get home quickly! That husband of mine tried to cook for the first time in 10 years and... well... It's not going so well. Will you be alright closing by yourself?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah! Absolutely!" Jack replied.

"Thanks, love," She sighed, relieved. She quickly took off her apron and walked over to Jack and gave him a warm hug, "Have a nice flight sweety," She said.

"Thanks, Shay," Jack replied as he hugged her back. He waved to her as she exited the store.

Jack continued to close his register, then went over and finished closing Shaylynn's register. He quickly mopped around the registers and, after checking over the aisles and making sure that everything was in order, he shut off the lights and exited the store. He stepped out into the cool, dark night air and looked over at his car that was parked at the back of the parking lot. As he turned around to lock the door behind him, he spotted something else. A large, dark blue truck, with a red strip going all around it, parked just 15 spots away from his car. The uneasy feeling that had been growing inside him before came back. He took a deep breath, trying to shake the bad thoughts out of his head. He quickly locked the door to the store before making his way over to his car. He constantly looked over his shoulder and behind him, making sure that no one else was attempting to follow him. Thankfully, no one came close to him as he quickly neared his car door. He practically jumped in and shut the door behind him, quickly locking the vehicle. He sat back and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he was finally safe. He pushed his car key into the ignition and turned it.

Nothing happened. Again, he made an attempt to start the car. Again, not a single sound came from the engine. His heart sank into his stomach. He made 2 more attempts before sitting back in his chair, letting out a slow, shaky breath as he did so. Just then, there was a knock on his car door window. Jack closed his eyes. He knew who it was.

"Seeaaan," Cliff cooed, his body mass casting a dark shadow against the car. Jack slowly looked over at him, his eyes wide with fear, "It looks like you're havin' some car trouble there," Cliff spoke sweetly, a wide, toothy grin on his face.

"What did you do?" Jack asked softly, trembling as he did so.

"Oh, nothin' much. Pulled one thing out, clipped a couple wires," Cliff spoke without urgency, his tone completely calm, "So, it looks like you're not goin' anywhere in that thing. If you wanted, I could give you a lift," He cooed.

"No. I don't need one," Jack did his best to stay calm as his heart rate soared, his voice shaky with fear and dread.

"Oh, my little Sean," Cliff cooed devilishly, "You know you're not getting out of this," he grinned, "Open the door," He commanded.

"No," Jack shook his head quickly as he replied. Cliff's smile faltered slightly.

"Open the door, Sean," Cliff commanded again.

"No! Get away from me!" Jack yelled back. Cliff began to grit his teeth in anger. He reached down and pulled on the car door, but the lock held it in place. He pounded his fist on the window.

"Open the door!" Cliff shouted in anger.

"I-I'm calling the police!" Jack shouted back, scrambling to pull his phone out of his pocket. Cliff continued to pull at and pound on Jack's car door, causing the whole vehicle to bounce and sway.

Jack practically screamed at the female dispatcher as she answered the phone, doing his best to explain and remain calm as Cliff continued to rock and pound his vehicle. The dispatcher quickly confirmed that she would send patrol cars over to help him. Jack gained a slight bit of hope, but it was quickly washed away as he began to think about just how far away the police station would be from them. After all, they were out in the middle of nowhere. Who knows how long the police would take to get there. Still, he hung up the phone and hoped for the best.

"The police are coming! Get away now!" Jack shouted at Cliff through the door. Cliff glared in at Jack, then stepped away from the vehicle and sprinted over to his truck. 

'Is he leaving?' Jack thought as he watched Cliff open his truck door and step in. He was quickly proven wrong, however, and he felt like he was going to vomit just at the sight of it.

Cliff once again stepped out of his vehicle, but this time with a long, black crowbar in his hand. Cliff, knowing how much of the upper hand he had at that moment, began to nonchalantly walk towards Jack's car door. The Irishman quickly began to search around the front of his car, trying desperately to find something, anything that would help protect himself or prevent the inevitable. He was quickly interrupted as Cliff knocked against his window again, this time with the tip of the crowbar.

"Now," Cliff began, "I'm givin' you one last chance. Get. Out. Of. The. Fuckin'. Car," he demanded. Jack was frozen still, staring up at the crowbar in Cliff's hand, his mind completely being filled with fear. He shook his head slightly, still refusing Cliff's wishes, "Fine," Cliff spat. He stepped away from the car and swung down harshly on Jack's window.

Jack screamed as the sickening crack of the window sounded. He quickly scrambled over to the passenger's side of the vehicle and unlocked the door. As he did so, Cliff swung down once again on the window and shattered it completely, now reaching inside and unlocking the door and opening it. Jack quickly swung open the passenger door and tried to get out of it, but Cliff's rough hand quickly latched onto his ankle, causing him to go face first into the asphalt. Jack screamed then twisted his body around and struggled fiercely as Cliff crawled toward him. He sent a swift kick against Cliff's face and caused the lumberjack to falter for a moment, letting go of Jack's ankle in the process. Jack scrambled to his feet and began running as fast as he could.

"Help! Help! Someone help me!" He screamed as he ran. He could hear Cliff running after him, the lumberjack's booming steps getting closer and closer, "Please! Someone help!" Jack called out again. He was immediately halted in his escape attempt as Cliff's arm snaked around his waist and pulled him back, Jack's back colliding with Cliff's torso, "Fuck! No! Please! Help!" He yelled as loud as he could, struggling fiercely in Cliff's grasp. He tried to send his elbow back against Cliff's body, but he wasn't able to make any good hits. Suddenly, Cliff spun him around in his grasp, then latched onto Jack's waist and hoisted him up over his shoulder, "Let me go! Help!" Jack screamed again as he pounded his fists against Cliff's back and shoulder, trying his best to struggle out of Cliff's grip, but he was too strong. Jack kicked his legs desperately and managed to land a good blow against Cliff's stomach, causing the lumberjack to grunt and falter for a moment. That moment quickly passed, however, and Cliff quickly caught hold of Jack's legs and held them tightly, stopping his kicks, "Please! Somebody help!" Jack continued to scream as he was carried towards Cliff's truck, struggling all the way.

Jack's screams were cut off as Cliff through him into the back seat of his truck, then quickly climbed in on top of him and shut the door. He shoved Jack's face down onto the leather seats and sat on his legs, grabbing hold of Jack's wrists as he did so.

"No! Let me go! Please!" Jack yelled as he struggled. He could feel rope quickly be wrapped around his wrists multiple times, securing them together behind his back. After Cliff tied the knot on them, he turned around and grabbed hold of Jack's ankles and bound them together as well. Jack struggled and screamed as he felt Cliff untie and pull his shoes off. Cliff then proceeded to bind his knees together as well, completely unaffected by Jack's screams and struggles, "Cliff, please! Please stop! Let me go!" Jack yelled again, trying desperately to break free of his tight bonds. Cliff paid him no mind as he forced Jack's wrists and ankles close together behind his back, then tied them together in a hogtie. He wrapped more rope around Jack's crotch and thighs, tying his wrists to his hips. Cliff flipped Jack onto his back and straddled his sides. Jack opened his mouth to scream again but Cliff shoved something into it, then forced Jack's mouth closed. Cliff placed one of his hands over Jack's mouth and nose and held Jack's head in place with his other.

"Swallow, and you'll breathe," Cliff commanded. Jack felt around at the device that had been shoved into his mouth and found that it was a small pill. He screamed and struggled as hard as he could, trying desperately to dislodge Cliff's grasp, but to no avail, "Honey, honey," Cliff cooed calmly, trying to gain Jack's attention, "You're not winning this fight. Swallow, and you'll breathe," He repeated. Again, Jack tried his best to break free of his holds. It wasn't long before his lungs began to scream out for air. He let out a sob, before reluctantly swallowing the pill. Immediately, Cliff let go of his mouth, allowing Jack to cough and sputter for air, "Good boy," Cliff cooed. As Jack desperately tried to refill his lungs, Cliff took his chance to shove a balled up cloth into Jack's mouth. Jack immediately began to scream again, his sounds now muffled. Cliff tied another cloth over the Irishman's mouth to hold the first in place, greatly muffling Jack's screams and cries. To finish it all, Cliff grabbed the seat belt from the middle seat and wrapped it once around Jack's waist before buckling it in, "There we go!" Cliff spoke happily, "All set for the drive home," He said, his toothy grin reappearing as Jack continued to scream and cry.

Cliff stepped out of the back seat and closed the door, then hopped into the driver's seat. He turned the key of his vehicle and started the car as he hummed a happy song, all the while Jack continued to scream and struggle in his binds in the back. They pulled out of their parking spot and began to make their way onto the regular road.

"That took a bit longer than expected!" Cliff giggled, "You sure do put up one hell of a fight!" He beamed, looking in his rear-view mirror at Jack. Jack screamed in response, "Oh, but I got you, didn't I?" He sang happily, "I got you, and now you're aaaaall mine," He cooed. Jack whimpered in response, "It's almost sad. I'll never be able to come back here after this... Oh, but it's worth it for you, isn't it Sean?" He asked happily as he continued down the road.

Jack continued to desperately scream and struggle, thrashing in his bindings as best he could, trying his hardest to pull his hands free, but the rope was too strong, and the knots too tight. He hoped he might be able to alert any other driver who came down the road, but with how dark it was both outside and in the vehicle, a part of him knew there was no hope for it. Still, he tried his best. Eventually, he felt his arms begin to weaken as his voice got quieter and quieter. Sleep began to tug at the corners of his mind. But how? Who could sleep at a time like this? Still, his struggles and screams became less and less over time.

"Is that pill kickin' in for you honey?" Cliff cooed from the front seat. Jack whimpered and cried in response, wishing that he hadn't swallowed that stupid pill, "Aw, don't worry. You'll be out like a light in no time," Cliff replied sweetly.

Jack struggled and tried his best to fight it, but the effects of the pill became too strong for him. He slowly stopped struggling and his voice fell silent as his eyes became too heavy to hold up anymore, and he slipped into a deep sleep.

\---

He groaned softly as he slowly began to wake up. He brought his hands up to rub the sleep out of his eyes, then fluttered them open softly. Sunlight immediately blinded him, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut once again and blink. He slowly opened his eyes again, his vision blurry for a second as he tried to get used to the space he was in. His eyes focused on his hands, which were held together by a bit of rope. He was confused for a moment before he remembered what happened. He quickly sat up on the bed he was on and darted his eyes around the room he was in. Save for the bed he was currently on, the room held nothing but four empty walls, a window, and a door. He looked down at the rope on his wrists and tugged at them fearfully, trying to break free somehow.

"No, no. Please god no," Jack spoke to no-one-in-particular as he began to tremble, continuing to struggle as hard as he could in his bonds. Alas, the knot around his hands had been expertly tied, making it impossible to even attempt to remove it. The rope on his wrists was attached to a long, thick piece of rope that cascaded down off the side of and under the bed. The length of it seemed to have been cut to allow Jack to move around the room freely, but prevent him from escaping any further.

He looked back up at the door near the bed and quickly stood up, but fell back down for a moment as his world spun slightly. The pill had not completely worn off yet. He stood up slower and made his way over to the door as fast as possible then began to turn the doorknob. Of course, it was locked, but that didn't stop him from desperately turning and yanking the knob, trying his hardest to get it to turn in someway or another.

"Please!" He shouted, beginning to pound his fists against the door, "Let me go! Please!" He screamed, pounding as hard as he could, "You can't do this! Let me go!" He pounded harder as tears welled up in his eyes, a sickening feeling of hopelessness filling him as silence responded to his pleas, "Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!" he cried as the tears spilt down his cheeks. He backed away from the door quickly, then rushed towards it, smashing his shoulder against it, trying to break it down. When it did not budge, again he backed up and threw himself harshly against the door. Another hard smash against the door yielded the same results as the first two. He leaned against the door as he panted, his voice beginning to hiccup as large sobs escaped his lips, "Please..." He sobbed as he pressed his back against the door and slid down it, "Please... I want to go home..." He sobbed, curling himself up against the door and crying, not caring how he might look. Tears poured out of him as he sat there.

He sat there crying for a long while, all his fear, dread, and hopelessness exploding out of him in his emotions. Eventually, his hiccups began to lessen, and his sobs crew quieter. Slowly, he lifted his head up out of his hands, his eyes still red and tears still streaming down his face. He slowly scanned the room he was in again, simply taking in his situation. He became fixated on the window and the tall trees outside. He stood up shakily and walked over to the window, not bothering to wipe his face clean. He pressed his forehead against it in an attempt to see as far out of it as he could. It looked to be about 9 or 10 in the morning, what with the sun already so high in the sky. He could tell that he was on the second floor of something, but it was hard to tell where he was since the trees surrounding the building he was in towered over it.

"Where am I?" He whispered to himself as he looked out.

*Click*

Jack whipped around at the noise, pulling him out of his thoughts completely. He watched as the door to the room was pushed slightly ajar, and an eye stared at him through the crack.

"Good mornin'," Cliff spoke softly as if attempting to speak to an injured animal, "Did you sleep well?" He asked as he pushed the door open more and stepped in, then closed the door behind him. Jack did not respond. He just stared back at the lumberjack, his eyes wide with fear, "Heh, I'm gonna assume that's a 'yes'," Cliff chuckled softly, then began to step towards Jack.

"D-Don't touch me!" Jack shrieked the moment Cliff began to walk towards him, pressing his back completely against the window behind him as he did so.

"Shh, it's alright," Cliff cooed, not stopping for a moment as he continued towards Jack.

"I don't want you to touch me! Get away!" Jack yelled, trying his best to back up further, but of course, the wall prevented that.

"Calm down, sweetheart. Calm down," Cliff spoke sweetly as he walked, then he moved over and sat on the edge of the bed, facing Jack still, "I was just coming to sit down. It's alright," Jack felt like he was going to start crying again, his fear causing his breath to quicken and his emotions to rise. He fought back against it, though, "Oh, honey, are you alright? You look like you're gonna cry again," Cliff spoke softly, lovingly.

"What do you want with me?" Jack asked, his voice shaking as he trembled. He fought back against his emotions as well.

"Do you even have to ask?" Cliff chuckled, "I think you're smart enough to figure that out by now,"

"What the HELL do you want with me?!" Jack shouted again, his emotions getting the better of him.

"Alright, alright. Calm down," Cliff spoke gently, trying not to provoke Jack any further, "I want you as my husband," Cliff spoke sweetly. Jack was stunned into silence for a moment.

"Y-your husband?" Jack asked, his voice soft and shaky.

"Yes, Sean. I want you to be my husband," Cliff replied happily.

"Well..." Jack began, unsure of how to handle this, "W-well I don't want to be your husband! I want to go home! Now!" He shouted, his heart pounding in his chest. Pure terror poured through him as he watched Cliff close his eyes, lean his head back, and laugh loudly as if mocking him.

"Oh, Sean," Cliff refocused, "My precious little Sean," He cooed as he leaned down and picked up the rope that was attached to Jack's wrists, "You're so cute," He spoke lovingly, giving the rope a quick jerk towards him, causing Jack to stumble towards him slightly. Jack shrieked and pulled back against the rope, fear overtaking him as he watched Cliff begin to pull the rope towards him, "You think you have a choice in this," Cliff gave a rough jerk to the rope, forcing Jack to stumble closer towards him.

"No! Stop!" Jack shrieked, trying with all his might to pull back against the rope, but Cliff's grip did not waver. Again, he was forced closer to him, "Stop! Please!" He shrieked. For a moment, Cliff gave the rope a lot of slack, causing Jack to lose his balance, then jerked it forward roughly, sending Jack stumbling forward and straight into Cliff's reach.

"Oh, now why would I do that? This is so much fun," Cliff cooed as he wrapped his arms around Jack and forced the Irishman into sitting in his lap, almost in a bridal style. Jack struggled fiercely to break free of Cliff's hold, but the lumberjack's strong arms held him fast.

"Let go of me!" Jack shrieked and squirmed.

"Not happenin'," Cliff taunted, holding Jack tight enough to force him to stay still. Cliff stared down at Jack's face, his calm, loving eyes staring back into Jack's fearful and wide ones, "God, you're so pretty," He cooed as he brought his hand up to Jack's face, letting go of his legs for a moment, and stroked his cheek tenderly.

"Stop! Don't touch me!" Jack screamed, thrashing about in Cliff's arms. Suddenly, Cliff grabbed him by his waist and stood up, then shoved Jack down onto his back on the bed. Jack struggled as hard as he could as Cliff's large body moved on top of him, Cliff straddling his sides as he shoved Jack's hands down to his stomach. Cliff pulled the rope under his knee and pushed down on it, stopping any attempt Jack might have made to raise his hands. Cliff's face was then mere inches away from Jack's as the lumberjack's large, rough hands cupped Jack's cheeks.

"Oh, my sweet darlin'," He cooed, paying no mind to Jack's struggles and grunts, "You and I will live the best life together. And I will love you, and you will learn to love me," He spoke lovingly.

"Please, please don't," Jack pleaded, staring fearfully up at Cliff. The lumberjack's wide, toothy grin reappeared.

"I will love you until the end of my days, and I'll keep you here, and you'll be my sweety pie," He cooed lovingly, stroking Jack's cheek slightly as he did so. His eyes trailed down from Jack's eyes to his quivering lips. Before Jack could react, Cliff's lips were colliding with his.

He shrieked into it and screwed his eyes shut, pursing his lips as much as he could to try and stop it from happening. Despite this, Cliff kept his lips pressed against Jacks, holding Jack's face in place as he did so. Jack desperately tried to struggle free, but Cliff's entire body mass laying on top of him caused any and all of his struggles to be futile. After a moment, he sobbed in defeat as he stopped his struggles. He knew that there was nothing in this moment he could do to stop it. Cliff took a long breath in through his nose, then finally broke the kiss.

"I love you," Cliff whispered lovingly.

"Please," Jack whispered fearfully.

"Again?" Cliff asked softly, "With pleasure,"

"No-," Jack was cut off as Cliff once again kissed him. Jack whimpered into the kiss, complete hopelessness washing over him. How was he going to get out of this?


End file.
